Method and apparatus for the activation of services

ABSTRACT

An approach is provided for presenting an activation indicator to a user. A connection with a mobile device is detected. Retrieval is caused, at least in part, of a unique hardware identifier associated with the mobile device. It is determined that the mobile device is eligible for a service based on the unique hardware identifier. Presentation is caused, at least in part, of a visual indicator of the eligibility for the service based on the determination.

BACKGROUND

Service providers (e.g., wireless, cellular, etc.) and devicemanufacturers are continually challenged to deliver value andconvenience to consumers by, for example, providing compelling networkservices. However, in many cases, these services have traditionallyrequired users to proactively take steps for initiating processes toactivate or register with the services before using or receiving accessto the respective service. That is, the user must first recognize a needto initiate activation of the service and then take the time to performthe activation or registration steps associated with the service. Manyusers may not know of the activation processes or if the users know ofthe activation process, may not complete the activation process becausethe activation scheme is complex or confusing.

SOME EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Therefore, there is a need for an approach for presenting an activationindicator to a user based on user eligibility for a service.

According to one embodiment, a method comprises detecting a connectionwith a mobile device. The method also comprises causing, at least inpart, retrieval of a unique hardware identifier associated with themobile device. The method further comprises determining that the mobiledevice is eligible for a service based on the unique hardwareidentifier. The method additionally comprises initiating presentation ofa visual indicator of the eligibility for the service based on thedetermination.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprising at least oneprocessor, and at least one memory including computer program code, theat least one memory and the computer program code configured to, withthe at least one processor, cause, at least in part, the apparatus todetect a connection with a mobile device. The apparatus is also causedto cause, at least in part, retrieval of a unique hardware identifierassociated with the mobile device. The apparatus is further caused todetermine that the mobile device is eligible for a service based on theunique hardware identifier. The apparatus is additionally caused toinitiate presentation of a visual indicator of the eligibility for theservice based on the determination.

According to another embodiment, a computer-readable storage mediumcarrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, whenexecuted by one or more processors, cause, at least in part, anapparatus to detect a connection with a mobile device. The apparatus isalso caused to cause, at least in part, retrieval of a unique hardwareidentifier associated with the mobile device. The apparatus is furthercaused to determine that the mobile device is eligible for a servicebased on the unique hardware identifier. The apparatus is additionallycaused to initiate presentation of a visual indicator of the eligibilityfor the service based on the determination.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus comprises means fordetecting a connection with a mobile device. The apparatus alsocomprises means for causing, at least in part, retrieval of a uniquehardware identifier associated with the mobile device. The apparatusfurther comprises means for determining that the mobile device iseligible for a service based on the unique hardware identifier. Theapparatus additionally comprises means for initiating presentation of avisual indicator of the eligibility for the service based on thedetermination.

Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention arereadily apparent from the following detailed description, simply byillustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations,including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. Theinvention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and itsseveral details can be modified in various obvious respects, all withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature,and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, andnot by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system capable of causing presentation of anindicator that a device is eligible for a service, according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the components of a computing device utilized topresent an indicator that a user equipment is eligible for a service,according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the components of a services platform, accordingto one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for presenting an activation menubased on whether a user equipment is eligible for a service, accordingto one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process for determining a service status of auser equipment, according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 6A-6E are diagrams of user interfaces utilized in the processes ofFIG. 4, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of hardware that can be used to implement anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a chip set that can be used to implement anembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a mobile terminal (e.g., handset) that can beused to implement an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

Examples of a method, apparatus, and computer program for presentingactivation information based on a determination of eligibility for aservice are disclosed. In the following description, for the purposes ofexplanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. It isapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of theinvention may be practiced without these specific details or with anequivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system capable of causing presentation of anindicator, such as a command prompt and/or a dialogue screen, that adevice is eligible for a service, according to one embodiment. Networkservices, such as media services (e.g., music services, video services,photo services, etc.), navigation services, gaming services and the likeare increasingly being offered to users who can engage in these servicesusing their user equipment (e.g., mobile handsets, computers, etc.).Although various embodiments are described with respect to mediaservices, it is contemplated that the approach described herein may beused with any other services available over a communication network.Licenses or authorization to use these services may be purchased orpackaged with respective user equipment. However, some of these servicesstill require activation and/or registration before a user is ableutilize the respective service. This activation process may be unknownor inconvenient to the user to initiate and thus the user may lackincentive to activate the service. It is noted that service providersmay have invested heavily in the development of such services; thereturn on this investment can be undermined if users are reluctant toeven try the service because of an inconspicuous activation procedure.

To address this problem, a system 100 of FIG. 1 introduces thecapability to present an indicator that a device is eligible for aservice after activation. According to some embodiments, users areprovided an indicator and a prompt to activate or register for a servicebased on whether a user equipment (UE) 101 connected to a computingdevice 103 is eligible for the service. The computing device 103, via aservices (e.g., media) application 105 may detect that the UE 101 isconnected and retrieve a unique identifier, such as a unique hardwareidentifier 107 associated with a hardware component 109 of the UE 101,or and/or user information stored in the UE 101. The computing device103 may then formulate a request for more information about the UE 101based on the unique identifier, such as the unique hardware identifier107, to a services platform 111 (e.g., a media services platform, amusic services platform, a gaming platform, navigation servicesplatform, etc.). The request may be sent via a communication network113. Then, the services platform 111 may query an equipment database 115to determine status information about the UE 101 based on the uniqueidentifier. The status information may include whether the UE 101 iscompatible with the service, whether the UE 101 or the user has beenactivated to work with the service, etc. When the services platform 111retrieves the status information, the services platform 111 may transmitthe status information to the computing device 103, which may utilizethe services application 105 to process the status information.Moreover, the services application 105 may then present an indicator tothe user to activate the service for the UE 101 based on the statusinformation. Once activation is complete, the user may utilize theservice on via the services application 105 on the computing device 103or other applications 117 associated with the service on the UE 101.

According to certain embodiments, services application 105 may be activeon the computing device 103 when the UE 101 is connected. The servicesapplication 105 may be an application specific to a single serviceand/or service provider or encompass many services (e.g., musicservices, e-mail services, shopping services, etc.). By way of example,the one or more of the services may be activated based on an associationwith the UE 101 (e.g., the UE 101 is packaged with access to theservice). The UE 101 may be connected to the computing device 103 viaone of more of many different interfaces such as a wired interfaces(e.g., universal serial bus (USB), serial port, parallel port, theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394interface), and wireless interfaces (e.g., via a wireless local areanetwork connection (WLAN), BLUETOOTH, etc.). The services application105 may monitor the computing device 103 to determine when a connectionis established.

Then, a device and/or a user association between the UE 101 and theservices application 105 may occur, where the services application 105may retrieve one or more identifiers (e.g., the unique hardwareidentifier 107 and/or user information) from the UE 101. In certainembodiments, the services application 105 retrieves the one or moreidentifiers, such as the hardware identifier(s) 107, by requesting thatan application 117 or operating system of the UE 101 retrieve the one ormore identifiers. The UE 101 may include one or more hardwareidentifiers 107 for uniquely identifying the UE 101, and/or userinformation for uniquely identifying the user of the UE 101. The one ormore identifiers, such as the hardware identifiers 107, may beidentification data that can be stored in memory of the UE 101 or can bea serial number or other unique identifier that can be obtained from ahardware component 109 of the UE 101. Such a hardware identifier 107 caninclude user accessible identifiers such as an International MobileEquipment Identity (IMEI), an electronic serial number, Mobile EquipmentIdentity (MEID), user inaccessible identifiers such as a serial numberof a component (e.g., a processor, transceiver, etc.) associated withthe UE 101 or another identifier known to the manufacturer of the UE101, or other identifiers unique to a particular UE 101. Moreover, incertain embodiments, the one or more identifiers may be a removablehardware identifier located on a removable memory device such as asubscriber identity module (SIM) or on a removable component attached tothe UE 101 (e.g., a BLUETOOTH headset or a hands free communicationdevice) that the UE 101 may extract the one or more identifiers from.

The services application 105 can retrieve and transmit one or moreidentifiers 107 to the services platform 111 via the communicationnetwork 113 as part of the activation notification procedure. Theservices application 105 may be configured to access to the servicesplatform 111 using an identifier of the services platform 111 (e.g.,website address, telephone number, etc.) to request a service status ofthe UE 101. The services platform 111 may query the equipment database115 and/or user database to determine if the service status of the UE101 and/or the user.

The equipment database 115 and the user database may be used by theservices platform 111 to assist with managing user accounts andservices. Moreover, the services platform 111 can utilize the equipmentdatabase 115 and the user database to store relevant information aboutthe UE 101 and/or the user. In certain embodiments, the equipmentdatabase 115 may include or be replaced with a license provisioninggateway that stores the relevant UE information. In one embodiment, therelevant UE information can include hardware identifiers 107 that can beassociated with other information about a corresponding UE 101. By wayof example, the UE information may be stored as a table with fields forone or more hardware identifiers as well as the information associatedwith the hardware identifiers. The other information corresponding tothe hardware identifiers 107 and/or user can include licensinginformation that provides the type of service access and time period ofaccess the UE 101 is entitled to (e.g., because the service was packagedwith the cost of the UE 101). Also, some of the licensing informationmay be based on other characteristics of the UE 101 such as the countrylocation of the UE 101. This may be important because many countrieshave different copyright, trademark, and other licensing laws and the UE101 used in one country may have different rights than a UE 101 used inanother country. Further, the service provider and user may have accessto different content in different countries based on contracts made bythe service provider with other entities. Additionally, the equipmentdatabase 115 may store a “blacklist” status of UEs 101. A UE 101 may bemarked as blacklisted if the UE 101 is not permitted access to theservice for one or more reasons, e.g., country restrictions.Additionally, the UE 101 information may include information as towhether the UE 101 is compatible with the service, whether an accounthas been activated and/or is associated with the UE 101, whether the UE101 has a license to utilize the service, a combination thereof, etc.Once the service status is determined by the services platform 111, theservices platform 111 may cause, at least in part, transmission of theinformation to the computing device 103.

Once the service status is received from the services platform 111, theservices application 105 may determine if the UE 101 and/or the user iseligible for the service. If the UE 101 and/or user is eligible for theservice, the user is prompted to activate the service using anactivation or registration wizard as further detailed in FIGS. 6A-6E. Incertain scenarios, during the activation or registration process, thecomputing device 103 may query the UE 101 for any available userinformation, e.g. the services application 105 related information,account information, user identifier and password information, personalidentification number (PIN) number, service identification number, usercontact information, email address, phone number, social network serviceinformation, etc. that may be stored in a memory of the UE 101. Ifavailable, the UE application 117 or the operating system of the UE 101may retrieve this information to transmit it to the computing device103. This user information may be utilized to assist the user incompleting the registration by filling out empty user information fieldsduring registration. In certain scenarios, the user information and/orthe services application 105 information may be associated with aservice of the services platform 111 or another services platform. Uponsuccessful activation, the user may utilize the computing device 103and/or the UE 101 to access the service. In certain embodiments, theservice is a media service and use of the service includes downloadinglicensed music or video to the UE 101 or computing device 103.

As shown in FIG. 1, the user equipment (UE) 101 has connectivity to thecomputing device 103 and the services platform 111 via the communicationnetwork 113. By way of example, the communication network 113 of system100 includes one or more networks such as a data network (not shown), awireless network (not shown), a telephony network (not shown), internetprotocol (IP) datacast network (not shown), or any combination thereof.It is contemplated that the data network may be any local area network(LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), apublic data network (e.g., the Internet), or any other suitablepacket-switched network, such as a commercially owned, proprietarypacket-switched network, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-opticnetwork. In addition, the wireless network may be, for example, acellular network and may employ various technologies including enhanceddata rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packet radio service(GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocolmultimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system(UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g.,worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), Long TermEvolution (LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), widebandcode division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi),satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), and the like. In addition, thewireless network may be a short range wireless network, e.g. wirelessLAN network, Bluetooth Network®, Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) network, and thelike.

The UE 101 is any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or portableterminal including a mobile handset, station, unit, device, multimediacomputer, multimedia tablet, Internet node, communicator, communicationdevice, desktop computer, laptop computer, Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs), audio/video player, digital camera/camcorder, game device,positioning device, television broadcast receiver, radio broadcastreceiver, or any combination thereof. It is also contemplated that theUE 101 can support any type of interface to the user (such as “wearable”circuitry, etc.).

By way of example, the UE 101, computing device 103, and servicesplatform 111 communicate with each other and other components of thecommunication network 113 using well known, new or still developingprotocols. In this context, a protocol includes a set of rules defininghow the network nodes within the communication network 113 interact witheach other based on information sent over the communication links. Theprotocols are effective at different layers of operation within eachnode, from generating and receiving physical signals of various types,to selecting a link for transferring those signals, to the format ofinformation indicated by those signals, to identifying which softwareapplication executing on a computer system sends or receives theinformation. The conceptually different layers of protocols forexchanging information over a network are described in the Open SystemsInterconnection (OSI) Reference Model.

Communications between the network nodes are typically effected byexchanging discrete packets of data. Each packet typically comprises (1)header information associated with a particular protocol, and (2)payload information that follows the header information and containsinformation that may be processed independently of that particularprotocol. In some protocols, the packet includes (3) trailer informationfollowing the payload and indicating the end of the payload information.The header includes information such as the source of the packet, itsdestination, the length of the payload, and other properties used by theprotocol. Often, the data in the payload for the particular protocolincludes a header and payload for a different protocol associated with adifferent, higher layer of the OSI Reference Model. The header for aparticular protocol typically indicates a type for the next protocolcontained in its payload. The higher layer protocol is said to beencapsulated in the lower layer protocol. The headers included in apacket traversing multiple heterogeneous networks, such as the Internet,typically include a physical (layer 1) header, a data-link (layer 2)header, an internetwork (layer 3) header and a transport (layer 4)header, and various application headers (layer 5, layer 6 and layer 7)as defined by the OSI Reference Model.

In one embodiment, the UE application 117, the services application 105,and services platform 111 may interact according to a client-servermodel. According to the client-server model, a client process sends amessage including a request to a server process, and the server processresponds by providing a service (e.g., streaming music). The serverprocess may also return a message with a response to the client process.Often the client process and server process execute on differentcomputer devices, called hosts, and communicate via a network using oneor more protocols for network communications. The term “server” isconventionally used to refer to the process that provides the service,or the host computer on which the process operates. Similarly, the term“client” is conventionally used to refer to the process that makes therequest, or the host computer on which the process operates. As usedherein, the terms “client” and “server” refer to the processes, ratherthan the host computers, unless otherwise clear from the context. Inaddition, the process performed by a server can be broken up to run asmultiple processes on multiple hosts (sometimes called tiers) forreasons that include reliability, scalability, and redundancy, amongothers.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the components of a computing device utilized topresent an indicator that a user equipment is eligible for a service,according to one embodiment. By way of example, the computing device 103includes one or more components for providing an activation notificationto a user based on a hardware identifier 107 of a connected UE 101. Itis contemplated that the functions of these components may be combinedin one or more components or performed by other components of equivalentfunctionality. In this embodiment, the computing device 103 includes atleast one control logic 201, an equipment interface 203 to communicatewith devices, at least one communication interface 205 to communicatewith a services platform 111, at least one memory 207 with computerprogram instructions, and a user interface 209. Moreover, in certainembodiments, the computing device 103 may be a UE 101.

According to certain embodiments, services application 105 may executeon the control logic 201 with the computer program instructions. Theservices application 105 may utilize the control logic 201 to monitorthe equipment interface 203 to detect if a UE 101 is connected. As notedabove, the equipment interface 203 may include wired interfaces (e.g.,USB, serial port, parallel port, the IEEE 1394 interface, etc.),wireless interfaces (e.g., via WLAN, BLUETOOTH, etc.), or the like. Whenthe UE 101 is connected, the equipment interface 203 may send a signal(e.g., an interrupt) to the control logic 201 notifying the controllogic 201 and the services application 105 of the UE 101 connection.Alternatively or additionally, the control logic 201 may monitor theequipment interface 203 periodically to determine whether a UE 101 isconnected. Moreover, the services application 105 may request andreceive one or more hardware identifiers from the UE 101 to identify theUE 101 via the equipment interface 203. A UE application 117 or anoperating system of the UE 101 may determine the hardware identifier 107and transmit the identifier to the computing device 103.

Once the services application 105 receives the hardware identifier 107,the services application 105 may utilize the communication interface 205to retrieve information about the UE 101 from a services platform 111using the hardware identifier 107. The services application 105 maygenerate a query specifying the hardware identifier 107 and a requestfor a service status of the UE 101 associated with the hardwareidentifier 107. The query is then transmitted to the services platform111 via the communication interface 205. Next, the services application105 may receive a response to the query specifying the service status ofthe UE 101. In certain embodiments, the service status may include thatthe UE 101 is not compatible with the service, the UE 101 is compatiblewith the service and the UE 101 includes a prepaid license, the UE 101is compatible with the service and the UE 101 does not include a prepaidlicense, the UE 101 has not previously been registered, the UE 101 haspreviously been registered, a combination thereof, etc.

By way of example, if the UE 101 is compatible with the service and hasnot yet been registered, the services application 105 may present anactivation indicator to the user on a user interface 209. The userinterface 209 can include various methods of communication. For example,the user interface 209 can have outputs including a visual component(e.g., a screen), an audio component (e.g., a verbal instructions), aphysical component (e.g., vibrations), and other methods ofcommunication. User inputs can include a touch-screen interface,microphone, camera, a scroll-and-click interface, a button interface,keyboard, etc. Further, the activation indicator may include a button orother visual feature (e.g., an icon) that may be activated by the userto open an activation or registration wizard. In other embodiments, theuser need not activate the icon and the wizard is automatically invoked.Then, the user may fill out convenient forms associated with the wizardto activate/register for the service. Additionally or alternatively, aspreviously mentioned, the information may be prefilled by the activationwizard by utilizing user information retrieved from the UE 101. Thisinformation may then be transmitted to the services platform 111 foractivation of the service. Access to the service is then provided to theuser.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the components of a services platform, accordingto one embodiment. By way of example, the services platform 111 includesone or more components for providing a service status to a computingdevice 103 using a hardware identifier 107 associated with a UE 101. Itis contemplated that the functions of these components may be combinedin one or more components or performed by other components of equivalentfunctionality. In this embodiment, the services platform 111 includes atleast one communication module 301 for communicating with devices, alicensing provisioning module 303 for associating UEs 101 to a servicestatus, at least one runtime module 305, and at least one memory 307.

The services platform 111 may provide services to UEs 101 and computingdevices 103. As noted above, services may include media services (e.g.,music services, video services, photo services, etc.), navigationservices, gaming services, shopping services, and the like. Theseservices and functions of the services platform 111 may be executed bythe runtime module 305 with computer program instructions stored in thememory 307. In some examples, the services platform 111 can send/receivemessages to/from the UE 101 and computing device 103 via thecommunication module 301 to provide the services. The communicationmodule 301 can be used to communicate with the UE 101, the computingdevice 103, an equipment database 115, and other devices availablethrough a communication network 113. Certain communications can be viamethods such as an internet protocol, messaging, or any othercommunication method (e.g., via the communication network 113). By wayof example, the services platform 111 may communicate with a licenseprovisioning gateway or the equipment database 115 to retrieveinformation associated with a UE 101 based on a hardware identifier 107.Such communications may include, among other data, transfer ofinformation relating to account information, UE 101 information,activation information, or the like.

The services platform 111 may also include a license provisioning module303 to determine, retrieve, or update a service status associated withdata associated with the equipment database 115 and/or the userdatabase. As previously described, the service status may include the UE101 is not compatible with the service, the UE 101 is compatible withthe service and the UE 101 includes a prepaid license, the UE 101 isincompatible with the service or is blacklisted from the service and theUE 101 does not include a prepaid license, the UE 101 has not previouslybeen registered, the UE 101 has previously been registered, acombination thereof, etc. Similarly, the service status may include thatthe user related status information (e.g., user account informationassociated with the UE 101). By way of example, the services platform111 may receive a request for a UE and/or user service status from acomputing device 103. The license provisioning module 303 can retrieveinformation associated with the hardware identifier 107, userinformation and/or services application 105 related information from theequipment database 115 and/or user database to determine the servicestatus. The equipment database 115 and/or user database can be updatedby the services platform 111 as well as other platforms such as otherservices platforms 111 or a platform associated with a manufacturer ofthe UE 101. Once the service status is determined, the status may betransmitted to the computing device 103 as a response to the requestfrom the computing device 103.

The license provisioning module 303 may also retrieve additionalinformation about the UE 101 such as licensing information from theequipment database 115 and the blacklist status. The equipment database115 can include the “blacklist” status of the UE 101. As previouslynoted, the blacklist status may be a designation as to whether the UE101 has been listed as not permitted to activate the service for one ormore reasons. Exemplary reasons for a UE 101 to be blacklisted includethat the UE 101 was reported stolen, complaints about the UE 101 or auser of the UE 101, and/or violations of the terms of use of one or moreservices. Licensing information can include types of services associatedwith the UE 101 as well as the type of licenses available (e.g., buy asyou go, monthly rental, unlimited use for a period of time, unlimiteddownloading of content for a period of time and unlimited use of thecontent on the UE 101, etc.) to the UE 101 and/or license expirationinformation. The license provisioning module 303 can also determine acountry associated with the UE 101 by receiving an identifier (e.g., viaa phone number, network identifier, etc.) associated with the UE 101.The country that the UE 101 is associated with could affect thelicensing information (e.g., some license types are unavailable incertain countries). Further, the license provisioning module 303 maydetect whether a portion of a license associated with the UE 101 hasbeen used (e.g., if an account was activated and then deactivatedbecause the UE 101 was activated by one user and then sold to a newuser).

The communication module 301 may also receive requests to register oractivate one or more services. The license provisioning module 303 maybe utilized to register the UE 101 and/or the user. The licenseprovisioning module 303 may utilize the communication module 301 toupdate the equipment database 115, user database, and/or anotherdatabase with account registration information and to associate accountswith hardware identifiers 107 in the equipment database 115. Further thedatabase may be utilized to authenticate users for providing the serviceat a later time. During the registration process, the services platform111 may request that the user provide authentication based on more thana hardware identifier 107. In certain scenarios, the authentication maybe a personal identification number (PIN) that may be linked to thehardware identifier 107 in the equipment database 115. In otherscenarios, the authentication may be another hardware identifier 107also associated with the UE 101 in the equipment database 115 that maybe used as a pair with the hardware identifier 107 for authentication.Additionally or alternatively, the authentication can be based on theuser information and/or the services application 105 relatedinformation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for presenting an activation menubased on whether a user equipment is eligible for a service, accordingto one embodiment. In one embodiment, the control logic 201 performs theprocess 400 and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including aprocessor and a memory as shown FIG. 8. A services application 105 mayexecute on the control logic 201 of a computing device 103. The servicesapplication 105 may provide access to services (e.g., music services) ofa services platform 111.

In step 401, the control logic 201 detects a connection of a UE 101(e.g., a mobile device) to the computing device 103. As previouslynoted, the connection may be wireless or wired. Further, at the time ofconnection, the control logic 201 may initiate execution of the servicesapplication 105. Additionally or alternatively, the services application105 may be executing when the UE 101 connection is detected. Then, theservices application 105 may cause, at least in part, retrieval of aunique hardware identifier 107 (e.g., the IMEI, MEID, etc.) associatedwith the UE 101 (step 403). The unique hardware identifier 107 may beretrieved by querying the connected UE 101. The query may be at anapplication level, a request to the operating system of the UE 101, orat a hardware level request for the unique hardware identifier 107. Incertain scenarios, a key or authentication may be required to retrievethe unique hardware identifier 107 from the UE 101. This key may beknown to the manufacturer of the UE 101 and may be provided to theservice provider.

Once the unique hardware identifier 107 is retrieved, the control logic201 may request and receive a service status of the UE 101 based on theunique hardware identifier 107 from the services platform 111 (step405). As previously detailed, the service status may include a varietyof information regarding the access rights the UE 101 has to the serviceand whether the access rights have previously been activated orutilized. The control logic 201 may generate a request specifying theunique hardware identifier 107 and a request for the service status. Therequest may then be caused, at least in part, to be transmitted to theservices platform 111. In certain embodiments, the request is onlygenerated if it is predetermined that the UE 101 is compatible with theservice. Under certain scenarios, the services application 105 mayinclude a lookup table that matches ranges of UE 101 unique hardwareidentifiers 107 to a compatibility with the service. This informationmay be updated using the services platform 111. The control logic 201may then receive the service status of the UE 101 from the servicesplatform 111.

Then, at step 407, the control logic 201 can determine that the UE 101is eligible for the service based on the unique hardware identifier 107.In certain embodiments, the eligibility is determined by the servicestatus. In certain embodiments, the UE 101 may be determined to beeligible based on combinations of the service status. For example, theUE 101 may be eligible for activation if the UE 101 is compatible withthe service and has not yet been registered. Further, the eligibilitymay require that the UE 101 is not blacklisted.

Once it is determined that the UE 101 is eligible for the service, thecontrol logic 201 causes, at least in part, presentation of a visualindicator of the eligibility for the service based on the determination(step 409). In certain embodiments, the visual indicator is anactivation menu or icon. Moreover, in some embodiments, the visualindicator is only presented if the service status indicates that the UE101 is compatible with the service and that the service UE 101 has notyet been activated for the UE 101. Additionally, the visual indicatormay utilize other properties that may be associated with the servicestatus (e.g., an amount of prepaid service time) to encourage the userto activate the account because the user has already paid for theservice.

The visual indicator may be activated to invoke an application (e.g., awizard) for registering the UE 101 with the service (step 411).Alternatively or additionally, the visual indicator may be the wizardand be automatically activated if it is determined that the UE 101 iseligible. The user may complete the registration process using thewizard application (step 413) as detailed in the user interfaces ofFIGS. 6B-6D. Once the registration is complete, the user may utilize theservices (e.g., either on the UE 101 or on the computing device 103).

In certain embodiments, the UE 101 may perform the process 400 withoutconnection to another device (e.g., the computing device 103). In thismanner, the services application may execute as a UE application 117.When the UE application 117 executes, it may perform the process 400 byfirst determining or detecting that the UE 101 is a mobile device asdescribed with respect to step 401. Then, the UE application 117 maycontinue the process 400 (e.g., steps 403 to 413) to present anactivation menu or registration wizard for the service on the UE 101. Incertain embodiments, the user information and/or the servicesapplication 105 related information may be utilized in a similar mannerin the process 400 as the unique hardware identifier 107, in addition tothe hardware identifier or by itself, to determine whether the UE 101and/the user is eligible for a service.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process for determining a service status of auser equipment, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, theruntime module 305 of a services platform 111 performs the process 500and is implemented in, for instance, a chip set including a processorand a memory as shown FIG. 8. In step 501, the runtime module 305receives a request specifying a unique hardware identifier associatedwith a UE 101 for a service status of the UE 101. This request may bereceived from a computing device 103 connected to the UE 101. In certainembodiments, the runtime module 305 may authenticate with the computingdevice 103 to ensure that the computing device 103 is executing anapplication that is licensed to utilize the services platform 111.

Then, the runtime module 305 determines the service status of the UE 101using an equipment database 115. As noted previously, the equipmentdatabase 115 may include information (e.g., licenses associated with theUE 101, activation status, account information, etc.) about the UE 101based on the hardware identifier 107. In certain embodiments, theservice status is the retrieved information from the equipment database115. In other scenarios, the service status may be determined byprocessing raw data into other values in a format that may be readilyusable by a services application 105 on the computing device 103. In oneexample, the runtime module 305 may receive raw values that the UE 101is associated with a music service, is prepaid for 6 months, and has notyet been activated. This information may be converted to a servicestatus indicating that the UE 101 is eligible for the service. Then, theruntime module 305 causes, at least in part, transmission of the servicestatus to the computing device 103. In certain embodiments, the userinformation and/or the services application 105 related information maybe utilized in a similar manner as in the process 500 as the uniquehardware identifier 107, in addition to the hardware identifier or byitself, for determining the service status of the user equipment and/theuser.

FIGS. 6A-6E are diagrams of user interfaces, e.g. dialogue screens,utilized in the processes of FIG. 4, according to various embodiments.FIG. 6A shows a user interface 600 of a computing device 103 that may beconnected to a UE 601 via a connection interface 603. The user interface600 may execute a services application (e.g., a music application). Asshown, the music application may be executing when the UE 601 isattached. The music application has a panel associated with devicesassociated with the computing device 103 including an icon or visualidentifier or indicator associated with each device (e.g., a computingdevice identifier 605, a media device identifier 607, and a UEidentifier 609. The UE identifier 609 includes various options for beingutilized. In one example, the processes of FIG. 4 are utilized and it isdetermined that the UE 101 is eligible for a service. The UE identifier609, as shown, displays an option to activate the service. In certainembodiments, the UE identifier 609 only shows the activation option ifthe UE 601 has access to the service and is not yet activated.Additionally, the UE identifier 609 may also indicate that the servicehas been prepaid and/or a value associated with the amount that has beenprepaid to encourage the user to activate the service. In certainembodiments, access to the service is prepaid as a package when the userbuys the UE 601.

If the user decides to activate access to the service, the user may bepresented with a registration wizard that may be displayed via agraphical user interface. A first step in the registration process isshown in the user interface 620 of FIG. 6B. The step includes providinginstructions on what is needed for activation 621, 623. Moreover, thestep includes an option for the user to select a registration option ofcreating a new account 625 or associating the UE 601 to an alreadyexisting account 627. In certain embodiments, the computing device 103may automatically detect that the UE 601 is associated with an existinguser account with the services platform 111 by querying the UE 601. Byway of example, the existing user account may be associated with a suiteor set or related services that share login credentials. In anotherembodiment, the user account may be unrelated to the service beingactivated. An existing user may tie the UE 601 to the account by loggingin and/or authenticating, while other users may activate the service forthe UE 601 by entering registration information. If detected, theusername of the existing user may be prefilled by the computing device103. In certain scenarios, an existing user may additionally be allowedto create a new account for the UE 601. The existing user informationassociated with the current login account may be automatically filled inthe registration screens to assist the user. In certain scenarios, theaccount is specific to the music service. In other scenarios, theaccount may be global to many services of associated services platforms.For example, the account may be tied to an e-mail account, a musicservice, social services, etc.

Then, a second step is presented in the user interface 640 of FIG. 6C.The step includes entering a security identifier, e.g. a security PIN641 or other security identifier that may be associated with the UE 601to register the UE 601. In certain scenarios, the registration processneed not use a PIN. In other scenarios, the security identifier may beautomatically identified as a hardware identifier associated with the UE601, and/or as an identifier, such as the user information and/or theservices application 105 related information, that the user has storedthe UE 601. Moreover, the user may be asked to verify some information,such as the country of residence 643 (e.g., for licensing purposes andcopyright laws associated with the country), and agree to terms andconditions of the service 645.

FIG. 6D presents a user interface 660 displaying a third step of theregistration process. This step includes a request for authenticationdetails 661 for future access. Moreover, the step includes a request forcontact details 663 (e.g., an e-mail address, mobile phone number,naming the UE 601, etc.). Further, the user interface 660 allows theuser to register for additional services (e.g., an e-mail news letter)associated with the service. Moreover, a promotional screen (not shown)with associated services may additionally be prompted to the user. Asdescribed above, in certain scenarios, one or more of the sign indetails and/or contact details may be prefilled based on accountinformation stored on the UE 101.

Once registration is completed, the user may begin using the musicservice (e.g., as shown in user interface 680 of FIG. 6E). As such, theuser may be able to immediately begin downloading music to the computingdevice 103 or the UE 601. In certain embodiments, the activation allowsthe user to access the music based on a license. For example, thelicense may only allow the UE 601 to access the content. Alternativelyor additionally, a license may allow the UE 601 and the computing device103 to access the content. Moreover, in certain embodiments, the licensemay be tied to the computing device 103.

The above approach, according to certain embodiments, allows for thenotification and activation of a service for a user of a UE 101 in aconvenient format. Additionally, user may be informed that the user hasalready purchased access to the service and only activation is needed toutilize the service. Moreover, this may be used to encourage users intocompleting the activation procedures. Additionally, in certainembodiments, the computing device 103 only displays an activation menuor activation wizard based on the eligibility of the UE 101. In thismanner, the approach saves user time and processor time by filteringunneeded activation from being displayed to a user. Additionally, incertain embodiments, the UE 101 and the computing device 103 can be asame device.

The processes described herein for presenting an activation indicator toa user based on a hardware identifier may be advantageously implementedvia software, hardware (e.g., general processor, Digital SignalProcessing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit(ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.), firmware or acombination thereof. Such exemplary hardware for performing thedescribed functions is detailed below.

FIG. 7 illustrates a computer system 700 upon which an embodiment of theinvention may be implemented. Although computer system 700 is depictedwith respect to a particular device or equipment, it is contemplatedthat other devices or equipment (e.g., network elements, servers, etc.)within FIG. 7 can deploy the illustrated hardware and components ofsystem 700. Computer system 700 is programmed (e.g., via computerprogram code or instructions) to present an activation indicator to auser based on a hardware identifier as described herein and includes acommunication mechanism such as a bus 710 for passing informationbetween other internal and external components of the computer system700. Information (also called data) is represented as a physicalexpression of a measurable phenomenon, typically electric voltages, butincluding, in other embodiments, such phenomena as magnetic,electromagnetic, pressure, chemical, biological, molecular, atomic,sub-atomic and quantum interactions. For example, north and southmagnetic fields, or a zero and non-zero electric voltage, represent twostates (0, 1) of a binary digit (bit). Other phenomena can representdigits of a higher base. A superposition of multiple simultaneousquantum states before measurement represents a quantum bit (qubit). Asequence of one or more digits constitutes digital data that is used torepresent a number or code for a character. In some embodiments,information called analog data is represented by a near continuum ofmeasurable values within a particular range. Computer system 700, or aportion thereof, constitutes a means for performing one or more steps ofpresenting an activation indicator to a user based on a hardwareidentifier.

A bus 710 includes one or more parallel conductors of information sothat information is transferred quickly among devices coupled to the bus710. One or more processors 702 for processing information are coupledwith the bus 710.

A processor 702 performs a set of operations on information as specifiedby computer program code related to presenting an activation indicatorto a user based on a hardware identifier. The computer program code is aset of instructions or statements providing instructions for theoperation of the processor and/or the computer system to performspecified functions. The code, for example, may be written in a computerprogramming language that is compiled into a native instruction set ofthe processor. The code may also be written directly using the nativeinstruction set (e.g., machine language). The set of operations includebringing information in from the bus 710 and placing information on thebus 710. The set of operations also typically include comparing two ormore units of information, shifting positions of units of information,and combining two or more units of information, such as by addition ormultiplication or logical operations like OR, exclusive OR (XOR), andAND. Each operation of the set of operations that can be performed bythe processor is represented to the processor by information calledinstructions, such as an operation code of one or more digits. Asequence of operations to be executed by the processor 702, such as asequence of operation codes, constitute processor instructions, alsocalled computer system instructions or, simply, computer instructions.Processors may be implemented as mechanical, electrical, magnetic,optical, chemical or quantum components, among others, alone or incombination.

Computer system 700 also includes a memory 704 coupled to bus 710. Thememory 704, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamicstorage device, stores information including processor instructions forpresenting an activation indicator to a user based on a hardwareidentifier. Dynamic memory allows information stored therein to bechanged by the computer system 700. RAM allows a unit of informationstored at a location called a memory address to be stored and retrievedindependently of information at neighboring addresses. The memory 704 isalso used by the processor 702 to store temporary values duringexecution of processor instructions. The computer system 700 alsoincludes a read only memory (ROM) 706 or other static storage devicecoupled to the bus 710 for storing static information, includinginstructions, that is not changed by the computer system 700. Somememory is composed of volatile storage that loses the information storedthereon when power is lost. Also coupled to bus 710 is a non-volatile(persistent) storage device 708, such as a magnetic disk, optical diskor flash card, for storing information, including instructions, thatpersists even when the computer system 700 is turned off or otherwiseloses power.

Information, including instructions for presenting an activationindicator to a user based on a hardware identifier, is provided to thebus 710 for use by the processor from an external input device 712, suchas a keyboard containing alphanumeric keys operated by a human user, ora sensor. A sensor detects conditions in its vicinity and transformsthose detections into physical expression compatible with the measurablephenomenon used to represent information in computer system 700. Otherexternal devices coupled to bus 710, used primarily for interacting withhumans, include a display device 714, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT)or a liquid crystal display (LCD), or plasma screen or printer forpresenting text or images, and a pointing device 716, such as a mouse ora trackball or cursor direction keys, or motion sensor, for controllinga position of a small cursor image presented on the display 714 andissuing commands associated with graphical elements presented on thedisplay 714. In some embodiments, for example, in embodiments in whichthe computer system 700 performs all functions automatically withouthuman input, one or more of external input device 712, display device714 and pointing device 716 is omitted.

In the illustrated embodiment, special purpose hardware, such as anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 720, is coupled to bus710. The special purpose hardware is configured to perform operationsnot performed by processor 702 quickly enough for special purposes.Examples of application specific ICs include graphics accelerator cardsfor generating images for display 714, cryptographic boards forencrypting and decrypting messages sent over a network, speechrecognition, and interfaces to special external devices, such as roboticarms and medical scanning equipment that repeatedly perform some complexsequence of operations that are more efficiently implemented inhardware.

Computer system 700 also includes one or more instances of acommunications interface 770 coupled to bus 710. Communication interface770 provides a one-way or two-way communication coupling to a variety ofexternal devices that operate with their own processors, such asprinters, scanners and external disks. In general the coupling is with anetwork link 778 that is connected to a local network 780 to which avariety of external devices with their own processors are connected. Forexample, communication interface 770 may be a parallel port or a serialport or a universal serial bus (USB) port on a personal computer. Insome embodiments, communications interface 770 is an integrated servicesdigital network (ISDN) card or a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or atelephone modem that provides an information communication connection toa corresponding type of telephone line. In some embodiments, acommunication interface 770 is a cable modem that converts signals onbus 710 into signals for a communication connection over a coaxial cableor into optical signals for a communication connection over a fiberoptic cable. As another example, communications interface 770 may be alocal area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connectionto a compatible LAN, such as Ethernet. Wireless links may also beimplemented. For wireless links, the communications interface 770 sendsor receives or both sends and receives electrical, acoustic orelectromagnetic signals, including infrared and optical signals, thatcarry information streams, such as digital data. For example, inwireless handheld devices, such as mobile telephones like cell phones,the communications interface 770 includes a radio band electromagnetictransmitter and receiver called a radio transceiver. In certainembodiments, the communications interface 770 enables connection to thecommunication network 105 for the UE 101.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein to refers to anymedium that participates in providing information to processor 702,including instructions for execution. Such a medium may take many forms,including, but not limited to computer-readable storage medium (e.g.,non-volatile media, volatile media), and transmission media.Non-transitory media, such as non-volatile media, include, for example,optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 708. Volatile mediainclude, for example, dynamic memory 704. Transmission media include,for example, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, andcarrier waves that travel through space without wires or cables, such asacoustic waves and electromagnetic waves, including radio, optical andinfrared waves. Signals include man-made transient variations inamplitude, frequency, phase, polarization or other physical propertiestransmitted through the transmission media. Common forms ofcomputer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexibledisk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM,CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, opticalmark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or otheroptically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM,any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other mediumfrom which a computer can read. The term computer-readable storagemedium is used herein to refer to any computer-readable medium excepttransmission media.

Logic encoded in one or more tangible media includes one or both ofprocessor instructions on a computer-readable storage media and specialpurpose hardware, such as ASIC 720.

Network link 778 typically provides information communication usingtransmission media through one or more networks to other devices thatuse or process the information. For example, network link 778 mayprovide a connection through local network 780 to a host computer 782 orto equipment 784 operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISPequipment 784 in turn provides data communication services through thepublic, world-wide packet-switching communication network of networksnow commonly referred to as the Internet 790.

A computer called a server host 792 connected to the Internet hosts aprocess that provides a service in response to information received overthe Internet. For example, server host 792 hosts a process that providesinformation representing video data for presentation at display 714. Itis contemplated that the components of system 700 can be deployed invarious configurations within other computer systems, e.g., host 782 andserver 792.

At least some embodiments of the invention are related to the use ofcomputer system 700 for implementing some or all of the techniquesdescribed herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, thosetechniques are performed by computer system 700 in response to processor702 executing one or more sequences of one or more processorinstructions contained in memory 704. Such instructions, also calledcomputer instructions, software and program code, may be read intomemory 704 from another computer-readable medium such as storage device708 or network link 778. Execution of the sequences of instructionscontained in memory 704 causes processor 702 to perform one or more ofthe method steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hardware,such as ASIC 720, may be used in place of or in combination withsoftware to implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the inventionare not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software,unless otherwise explicitly stated herein.

The signals transmitted over network link 778 and other networks throughcommunications interface 770, carry information to and from computersystem 700. Computer system 700 can send and receive information,including program code, through the networks 780, 790 among others,through network link 778 and communications interface 770. In an exampleusing the Internet 790, a server host 792 transmits program code for aparticular application, requested by a message sent from computer 700,through Internet 790, ISP equipment 784, local network 780 andcommunications interface 770. The received code may be executed byprocessor 702 as it is received, or may be stored in memory 704 or instorage device 708 or other non-volatile storage for later execution, orboth. In this manner, computer system 700 may obtain application programcode in the form of signals on a carrier wave.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequence of instructions or data or both to processor 702 forexecution. For example, instructions and data may initially be carriedon a magnetic disk of a remote computer such as host 782. The remotecomputer loads the instructions and data into its dynamic memory andsends the instructions and data over a telephone line using a modem. Amodem local to the computer system 700 receives the instructions anddata on a telephone line and uses an infra-red transmitter to convertthe instructions and data to a signal on an infra-red carrier waveserving as the network link 778. An infrared detector serving ascommunications interface 770 receives the instructions and data carriedin the infrared signal and places information representing theinstructions and data onto bus 710. Bus 710 carries the information tomemory 704 from which processor 702 retrieves and executes theinstructions using some of the data sent with the instructions. Theinstructions and data received in memory 704 may optionally be stored onstorage device 708, either before or after execution by the processor702.

FIG. 8 illustrates a chip set 800 upon which an embodiment of theinvention may be implemented. Chip set 800 is programmed to present anactivation indicator to a user based on a hardware identifier asdescribed herein and includes, for instance, the processor and memorycomponents described with respect to FIG. 7 incorporated in one or morephysical packages (e.g., chips). By way of example, a physical packageincludes an arrangement of one or more materials, components, and/orwires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard) to provide one ormore characteristics such as physical strength, conservation of size,and/or limitation of electrical interaction. It is contemplated that incertain embodiments the chip set can be implemented in a single chip.Chip set 800, or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performingone or more steps of presenting an activation indicator to a user basedon a hardware identifier.

In one embodiment, the chip set 800 includes a communication mechanismsuch as a bus 801 for passing information among the components of thechip set 800. A processor 803 has connectivity to the bus 801 to executeinstructions and process information stored in, for example, a memory805. The processor 803 may include one or more processing cores witheach core configured to perform independently. A multi-core processorenables multiprocessing within a single physical package. Examples of amulti-core processor include two, four, eight, or greater numbers ofprocessing cores. Alternatively or in addition, the processor 803 mayinclude one or more microprocessors configured in tandem via the bus 801to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, andmultithreading. The processor 803 may also be accompanied with one ormore specialized components to perform certain processing functions andtasks such as one or more digital signal processors (DSP) 807, or one ormore application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) 809. A DSP 807typically is configured to process real-world signals (e.g., sound) inreal time independently of the processor 803. Similarly, an ASIC 809 canbe configured to performed specialized functions not easily performed bya general purposed processor. Other specialized components to aid inperforming the inventive functions described herein include one or morefield programmable gate arrays (FPGA) (not shown), one or morecontrollers (not shown), or one or more other special-purpose computerchips.

The processor 803 and accompanying components have connectivity to thememory 805 via the bus 801. The memory 805 includes both dynamic memory(e.g., RAM, magnetic disk, writable optical disk, etc.) and staticmemory (e.g., ROM, CD-ROM, etc.) for storing executable instructionsthat when executed perform the inventive steps described herein topresent an activation indicator to a user based on a hardwareidentifier. The memory 805 also stores the data associated with orgenerated by the execution of the inventive steps.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of exemplary components of a mobile terminal (e.g.,handset) for communications, which is capable of operating in the systemof FIG. 1, according to one embodiment. In some embodiments, mobileterminal 900, or a portion thereof, constitutes a means for performingone or more steps of initiating transmission of a hardware identifier.Generally, a radio receiver is often defined in terms of front-end andback-end characteristics. The front-end of the receiver encompasses allof the Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry whereas the back-end encompassesall of the base-band processing circuitry. As used in this application,the term “circuitry” refers to both: (1) hardware-only implementations(such as implementations in only analog and/or digital circuitry), and(2) to combinations of circuitry and software (and/or firmware) (suchas, if applicable to the particular context, to a combination ofprocessor(s), including digital signal processor(s), software, andmemory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobilephone or server, to perform various functions). This definition of“circuitry” applies to all uses of this term in this application,including in any claims. As a further example, as used in thisapplication and if applicable to the particular context, the term“circuitry” would also cover an implementation of merely a processor (ormultiple processors) and its (or their) accompanying software/orfirmware. The term “circuitry” would also cover if applicable to theparticular context, for example, a baseband integrated circuit orapplications processor integrated circuit in a mobile phone or a similarintegrated circuit in a cellular network device or other networkdevices.

Pertinent internal components of the telephone include a Main ControlUnit (MCU) 903, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 905, and areceiver/transmitter unit including a microphone gain control unit and aspeaker gain control unit. A main display unit 907 provides a display tothe user in support of various applications and mobile terminalfunctions that perform or support the steps of initiating transmissionof a hardware identifier. The display 9 includes display circuitryconfigured to display at least a portion of a user interface of themobile terminal (e.g., mobile telephone). Additionally, the display 907and display circuitry are configured to facilitate user control of atleast some functions of the mobile terminal. An audio function circuitry909 includes a microphone 911 and microphone amplifier that amplifiesthe speech signal output from the microphone 911. The amplified speechsignal output from the microphone 911 is fed to a coder/decoder (CODEC)913.

A radio section 915 amplifies power and converts frequency in order tocommunicate with a base station, which is included in a mobilecommunication system, via antenna 917. The power amplifier (PA) 919 andthe transmitter/modulation circuitry are operationally responsive to theMCU 903, with an output from the PA 919 coupled to the duplexer 921 orcirculator or antenna switch, as known in the art. The PA 919 alsocouples to a battery interface and power control unit 920.

In use, a user of mobile terminal 901 speaks into the microphone 911 andhis or her voice along with any detected background noise is convertedinto an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then converted into adigital signal through the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 923. Thecontrol unit 903 routes the digital signal into the DSP 905 forprocessing therein, such as speech encoding, channel encoding,encrypting, and interleaving. In one embodiment, the processed voicesignals are encoded, by units not separately shown, using a cellulartransmission protocol such as global evolution (EDGE), general packetradio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM),Internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobiletelecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitablewireless medium, e.g., microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution(LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband codedivision multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite,and the like.

The encoded signals are then routed to an equalizer 925 for compensationof any frequency-dependent impairments that occur during transmissionthough the air such as phase and amplitude distortion. After equalizingthe bit stream, the modulator 927 combines the signal with a RF signalgenerated in the RF interface 929. The modulator 927 generates a sinewave by way of frequency or phase modulation. In order to prepare thesignal for transmission, an up-converter 931 combines the sine waveoutput from the modulator 927 with another sine wave generated by asynthesizer 933 to achieve the desired frequency of transmission. Thesignal is then sent through a PA 919 to increase the signal to anappropriate power level. In practical systems, the PA 919 acts as avariable gain amplifier whose gain is controlled by the DSP 905 frominformation received from a network base station. The signal is thenfiltered within the duplexer 921 and optionally sent to an antennacoupler 935 to match impedances to provide maximum power transfer.Finally, the signal is transmitted via antenna 917 to a local basestation. An automatic gain control (AGC) can be supplied to control thegain of the final stages of the receiver. The signals may be forwardedfrom there to a remote telephone which may be another cellulartelephone, other mobile phone or a land-line connected to a PublicSwitched Telephone Network (PSTN), or other telephony networks.

Voice signals transmitted to the mobile terminal 901 are received viaantenna 917 and immediately amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA)937. A down-converter 939 lowers the carrier frequency while thedemodulator 941 strips away the RF leaving only a digital bit stream.The signal then goes through the equalizer 925 and is processed by theDSP 905. A Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) 943 converts the signal andthe resulting output is transmitted to the user through the speaker 945,all under control of a Main Control Unit (MCU) 903—which can beimplemented as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) (not shown).

The MCU 903 receives various signals including input signals from thekeyboard 947. The keyboard 947 and/or the MCU 903 in combination withother user input components (e.g., the microphone 911) comprise a userinterface circuitry for managing user input. The MCU 903 runs a userinterface software to facilitate user control of at least some functionsof the mobile terminal 901 to initiate transmission of a hardwareidentifier. The MCU 903 also delivers a display command and a switchcommand to the display 907 and to the speech output switchingcontroller, respectively. Further, the MCU 903 exchanges informationwith the DSP 905 and can access an optionally incorporated SIM card 949and a memory 951. In addition, the MCU 903 executes various controlfunctions required of the terminal. The DSP 905 may, depending upon theimplementation, perform any of a variety of conventional digitalprocessing functions on the voice signals. Additionally, DSP 905determines the background noise level of the local environment from thesignals detected by microphone 911 and sets the gain of microphone 911to a level selected to compensate for the natural tendency of the userof the mobile terminal 901.

The CODEC 913 includes the ADC 923 and DAC 943. The memory 951 storesvarious data including call incoming tone data and is capable of storingother data including music data received via, e.g., the global Internet.The software module could reside in RAM memory, flash memory, registers,or any other form of writable storage medium known in the art. Thememory device 951 may be, but not limited to, a single memory, CD, DVD,ROM, RAM, EEPROM, optical storage, or any other non-volatile storagemedium capable of storing digital data.

An optionally incorporated SIM card 949 carries, for instance, importantinformation, such as the cellular phone number, the carrier supplyingservice, subscription details, and security information. The SIM card949 serves primarily to identify the mobile terminal 901 on a radionetwork. The card 949 also contains a memory for storing a personaltelephone number registry, text messages, and user specific mobileterminal settings.

While the invention has been described in connection with a number ofembodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited butcovers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, whichfall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of theinvention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it iscontemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination andorder.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: detecting a connection witha mobile device at an equipment interface; in response to detection ofthe connection, causing, at least in part, retrieval of a uniquehardware identifier associated with the mobile device; causing, at leastin part, transmission of a request for a service status of the mobiledevice to a service platform remote from where the method is beingcarried out, the request specifying the unique hardware identifier tothe service platform; receiving a service status of the mobile devicefrom the service platform, the service status being based on the uniquehardware identifier; determining that the mobile device is eligible fora service based on the service status; and initiating presentation of avisual indicator of the eligibility for the service based on thedetermination, wherein the retrieval of the unique hardware identifierdoes not include any input by a user of the mobile device.
 2. A methodof claim 1, wherein the unique hardware identifier comprises either aninternational mobile equipment identity, an identifier associated withan electronic component of the mobile device, or a combination thereof.3. A method of claim 1, further comprising: activating the visualindicator to invoke an application for registration of the mobile devicewith the service.
 4. A method of claim 1, wherein the service is aprepaid service that the mobile device includes a license to access. 5.A method of claim 1, wherein the presentation of the visual indicator isvia a graphical user interface that includes a section for entering anidentifier associated with the unique hardware identifier to authorizeregistration to the service.
 6. A method of claim 1, wherein thepresentation of the visual indicator is via a graphical user interfacethat includes a section for creating an account associated with themobile device and a user information request field, the method furthercomprising: determining whether user information is available in themobile device; retrieving the available user information from the mobiledevice; and filling the request field based on the retrieved userinformation.
 7. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and atleast one memory including computer program code, the at least onememory and the computer program code configured to, with the at leastone processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,detect a connection with a mobile device at an equipment interface; inresponse to detection of the connection, cause, at least in part,retrieval of a unique hardware identifier associated with the mobiledevice; cause, at least in part, transmission of a request for a servicestatus of the mobile device to a service platform remote from where theat least one processor and the at least one memory are located, therequest specifying the unique hardware identifier to the serviceplatform; receive a service status of the mobile device from the serviceplatform, the service status being based on the unique hardwareidentifier; determine that the mobile device is eligible for a servicebased on the service status; and initiate presentation of a visualindicator of the eligibility for the service based on the determination,wherein the retrieval of the unique hardware identifier does not includeany input by a user of the mobile device.
 8. An apparatus of claim 7,wherein the unique hardware identifier comprises either an internationalmobile equipment identity, an identifier associated with an electroniccomponent of the mobile device, or a combination thereof.
 9. Anapparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at leastin part, to: activate the visual indicator to invoke an application forregistration of the mobile device with the service.
 10. An apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein the service is a prepaid service that the mobile deviceincludes a license to access.
 11. An apparatus of claim 7, wherein thepresentation of the visual indicator is via a graphical user interfacethat includes a section for entering an identifier associated with theunique hardware identifier to authorize registration to the service. 12.An apparatus of claim 7, wherein the presentation of the visualindicator is via a graphical user interface that includes a section forcreating an account associated with the mobile device and a userinformation request field, and wherein the apparatus is further caused,at least in part, to: determine whether user information is available inthe mobile device; retrieve the available user information from themobile device; and fill the request field based on the retrieved userinformation.
 13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumcarrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, whenexecuted by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at leastperform the following steps: detecting a connection with a mobile deviceat an equipment interface; in response to detection of the connection,causing, at least in part, retrieval of a unique hardware identifierassociated with the mobile device; causing, at least in part,transmission of a request for a service status of the mobile device to aservice platform remote from where the apparatus is located, the requestspecifying the unique hardware identifier to the service platform;receiving a service status of the mobile device from the serviceplatform, the service status being based on the unique hardwareidentifier; determining that the mobile device is eligible for a servicebased on the service status; and initiating presentation of a visualindicator of the eligibility for the service based on the determination,wherein the retrieval of the unique hardware identifier does not includeany input by a user of the mobile device.
 14. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the uniquehardware identifier comprises either an international mobile equipmentidentity, an identifier associated with an electronic component of themobile device, or a combination thereof.
 15. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the apparatus iscaused, at least in part, to further perform: activating the visualindicator to invoke an application for registration of the mobile devicewith the service.
 16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumof claim 13, wherein the service is a prepaid service that the mobiledevice includes a license to access.
 17. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the presentationof the visual indicator is via a graphical user interface that includesa section for entering an identifier associated with the unique hardwareidentifier to authorize registration to the service.